GATHERING MUSIC - O Beautiful For Spacious Skies arr. by Hugh S. Livingston, Jr. [tune: Materna by Samuel A. Ward] Jan Green
PRELUDE - The King Of Love My Shepherd Is arr. by Penny Rodriguez [tune: St. Columbia, Ancient Irish Melody] Jan Green
Welcome (live)
This is the Day that the Lord has Made! Let us Rejoice!
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church
- we are a community seeking to have..
- Welcome whether you are here at church or worshipping with us online.
- Today we start our series on the Fruits of the Spirit. As God’s people we seek to Live by the Spirit we seek to bear the fruits and the first one, the most important one, is Love.
- As we prepare for worship, let’s listen to our scripture by reading...
Opening Scripture: Psalm 18:1-3 (live) - Laura Parker
*Response - Weave
*Call to Worship (live) - Chad
ONE: Come with what you have. For you who grieve this day know that you are invited to bring the broken pieces of our heart.
ALL: Accepting God's love for us, we are called to love one another.
ONE: Come with what you have. For you who come with gladness know that your melody will find harmony.
ALL: Loved by one another, we discover God's love for us.
ONE: Come with what you have. For you weighed down by too many 'shoulds' and 'what-ifs' know that here you may lay down the burdens of guilt and shame.
ALL: Accepting God's love for us, we are called to love one another.
ONE: Come with what you have. For you who come seeking, know that your questions are safe in the presence of God.
ALL: Loved by one another, we discover God's love for us.
~ written by Katherine Hawker
| *Song of Praise - (recorded) O, How I Love Jesus #99 | ||
| 1 There is a name I love to hear, I love to speak its worth; it sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth. Refrain: O, how I love Jesus, O, how I love Jesus, O, how I love Jesus, because he first loved me! 2 It tells me of a Savior's love, who died to set me free; it tells me of his precious blood, the sinner's perfect plea. (Refrain) | 3 It tells me what my Father hath, In store for every day, And though I tread a darksome path, Yields sunshine all the way. (Refrain) 4 It tells of one whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe, who in my sorrow bears a part that none can bear below. (Refrain) |
Children’s Moment (live) - Ally BOZEKA!
Pastoral Prayer (live) - Chad Delaney
As we pray together today, when I say “Lord, in your mercy….” you say, “Teach us to love as you have loved us.
Life-giving and ever-present God,
As the spring comes into full bloom, the birds singing, the sun warm on our skin...we thank you for your signature which is everywhere. Your mercies made known in the small gifts of love all around us. We thank you for walking beside us everyday. Lord, in your mercy...“Teach us to love as you have loved us.
You love with justice and restoration in mind. As a nation, we have witnessed racism and oppression. Violence and prejudice. Denial and obfuscation of truth...yet your Spirit is still breaking through. Help us to learn from the injustices in the pandemic. From the proliferation of poverty and disease. From the deaths of George Floyd and others like him whose lives were taken. From the ongoing violence between Israel and Palestine. From the everyday difficulties with family and friends. Even among great tragedy and struggle, we trust that your light will shine through. Keep us faithful to and hopeful of your restorative Spirit at work among us...help us be a part of your movement in the world. Lord, in your mercy...“Teach us to love as you have loved us.
On this weekend we lift to you those who lost their lives in service to their country. We lift up to you the families of those who have fallen and ask your mercy and grace be with them as they move forward from tragedy. As a nation and world help us to move forward in peace so that none would ever have to follow them. Give us creativity, courage, gentleness, patience, and understanding so that your peace might reign. Lord, in your mercy...“Teach us to love as you have loved us.
We praise you God who knows us...for you offer your Love so freely and unconditionally. You know every hair on our head and more besides. You have claimed us as your own. In our daily life of living, learning, and working. With our families, our spouses, our friends, co-workers, strangers and enemies… Lord, in your mercy...“Teach us to love as you have loved us.
We thank you Lord for being present with us today and now hear us as we offer our deepest joys and concerns to you now in silent prayer…..
How deeply you have loved us, Lord. How you have come alongside us in all our joys and sorrows. How you have made yourself known to us through all the experiences of our lives. We thank you, praise you, and pray all this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Scripture Reading - 1 John 4:7-21
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
Sermon - Love
Communion
Meditation (live) - Pete Prusynski
| Communion Hymn (recorded) - The Gift of Love | |
| 1 Though I may speak with bravest fire, and have the gift to all inspire, and have not love, my words are vain; as sounding brass, and hopeless gain. 2 Though I may give all I possess, and striving so my love profess, but not be given by love within, the profit soon turns strangely thin. | 3 Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control, our spirits long to be made whole. Let inward love guide every deed; by this we worship, and are freed. |
Prayer & Lord’s Prayer (live) - Pete Prusynski
Words of Institution (live) - Sarah Smith
Distribution
| Closing Hymn (recorded) - We Are One in the Spirit (SPECIAL MUSIC) | |
| 1 We are One in The Spirit, We are One in The Lord. We are One in The Spirit, We are One in The Lord. And we pray that all unity may one day be restored. [Chorus] And they'll know we are Christians by our love, By our Love, Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love. | 2 We will walk with each other, We will walk hand in hand. We will walk with each other, We will walk hand in hand. And together we'll spread the News that God is in our land. [Chorus] 3 We will work with each other, We will work side by side. We will work with each other, We will work side by side. And we'll guard each man's dignity And save each man's pride. [Chorus] |
*Benediction (live) - Sarah Smith
POSTLUDE - Love Lifted Me arr. by Ruth Elaine Schram [tune:safety by Howard E. Smith] played by Jan Green